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Sylvain Longchambon reveals the Dancing On Ice dangers and fitness tips as he reveals training has left partner Stephanie shaken: 'we’re training really hard on this area to try to get her confidence back up'

Stephanie Waring and Sylvain Longchambon are partners on Dancing On Ice 2018 [Getty]

SYLVAIN Longchambon and Stephanie Waring are starring on Dancing On Ice 2018.

Are there specific areas you have to concentrate on in the gym to be good on the ice?

A lot of training goes into Dancing On Ice [Instagram]

Sylvain, who is a Myprotein ambassador and Personal Trainer at Hale Country Club in Cheshire, says: "In addition to skating I’ll train at least 4 sessions per week in the gym, where I try to focus on my core, lots of shoulder presses and shoulders.

"I spend a minimum 10 hours per week with my partner Stephanie, but if she can train every day we do more, sometimes up to 4 hours per day.

"I also do chest workouts as you don’t really use it on the ice so I like to keep it balance.

"In addition I also do one HIIT session on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning just to get a bit of cardio to prep for the short intense exercises on the ice."

"The main problem was she kept catching the toe pick when she skates forward, which is a really common thing when you’re a beginner. When she catches her toe pick on the ice she falls forward and hurts her knees and wrists, she had a couple of falls before the live show so we’re training really hard on this area to try to get her confidence back up."

"There can be quite a lot of strain on your knees as you’re constantly flexing them with the jumps. A lot of the celebrity girls suffer from rib injuries as they’re not used to the lifts and jumps so this can be quite a sensitive area. My best advice is to stretch properly to try and minimise injuries."

What's your one big piece of advice fitness and diet-wise for celebs thinking of taking part on the show?

"It all depends on your physical state and if you need to get fit or maybe lose some weight to begin with. Diet wise I’d say up your proteins, lower your fat and carbs before bed, then eat the right carbs before you train as you need a lot of energy. Fitness wise, try to do functional exercises with your own body weight, like press ups, squats, lifts to improve your legs and core."

Can you tell who will be good, if so, how – what skills are needed?

"A lot has to do with mentality and confidence. Perri (Shakes-Drayton) is a runner, so she’s used to pressure and competition. Max (Evans) might be good as well, as he’s a rugby player, both of these guys have strong legs and core which will help them."

"My son wakes me up usually around 6am – 6.30am and this week I’ve been on the ice every morning at 7.30. I always have a protein shake after I’ve trained with Steph as the sessions are pretty intense and I still have my regular PT clients at my gym Hale Country Club in Cheshire.

"My favourite shake is the mocha Myprotein Impact Whey Protein, like it because I can have it with water and it’s still nice and creamy, I’ll also have a banana or an apple."

Any fitness/ diet secrets all dancing on ice stars swear by that people might be surprised by?

"People are surprised at the amount of calories you need to consume – I have at least 3,000 – it’s freezing when you’re at the ice rink all day so you need more calories to work in the cold, to get my calories up I’ll increase the quantities of food I eat, so 2-3 chicken breasts, and a whole tub of low fat Greek yogurt for a protein hit. I think it’s vital to look after your wellbeing as the lifestyle during training is pretty demanding. I take Vitamin C in the morning, and Vitamin D tablets for joints, then I also drink BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) as they help my training and aid muscle recovery when I’m on the ice."

Do the kids enjoy ice skating?

"Samia’s daughter Freya loves watching the show – the last series she was still quite young but now she is 8 and loves it. Our son is only 2, and he’s used to seeing his mum on TV, so he doesn’t realise it’s happening live yet. I think after the show Freya will want to go ice skating more, and I took my son for a little skate when Samia brought him to watch me train last week – he’s still too young on his own but he held my hand for a few laps!"